Kristina Hu, 16, a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, and her physics teacher, John Dell, demonstrate the effects of an electrical current on ball bearings submerged in oil. Thomas Jefferson was ranked the second-best high school nationwide in a new report. (Shamus Ian Fatzinger)

U.S. News evaluated more than 21,000 public high schools nationwide based on factors including reading and math scores on state proficiency exams and college prep.

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